Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System w/ PDA & FLR Detectors

The Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System w/ PDA & FLR Detectors is a high-performance ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography platform engineered for laboratories that require exceptional resolution, sensitivity, and reproducibility when analyzing complex or low-concentration samples. Built on Waters’ Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) technology, the I-Class system leverages sub-2 um column particle sizes and operating pressures up to 18,000 psi to dramatically improve chromatographic efficiency compared to conventional HPLC systems. By reducing system dispersion and optimizing fluidic pathways, the platform enables sharper peak shapes, higher peak capacity, and faster separations, making it particularly well-suited for challenging analytical methods and demanding throughput requirements.

At the core of the system is the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class Binary Solvent Manager, which is specifically designed for high-pressure, low-volume UPLC operation. The binary pumping system supports precise isocratic and gradient methods across a broad flow range, with advanced pressure management that enables ballistic gradients for faster cycle times without compromising separation quality. Integrated vacuum degassing, intelligent intake valves, automated priming, and active plunger seal washing contribute to stable solvent delivery, reduced maintenance, and consistent long-term performance. These capabilities allow the system to operate within the optimal linear velocity range for sub-2 um particle columns, supporting reliable and reproducible method execution.

Sample handling is performed by the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class Sample Manager-FTN, which uses a flow-through-needle injection mechanism to deliver high precision and low carryover across a wide range of injection volumes. This design allows gradients to pass directly through the needle during injection, ensuring complete sample transfer and efficient recovery. Optional extension loops and auto-dilution functionality provide additional flexibility for varying sample concentrations and volumes, while temperature-controlled sample storage helps maintain sample integrity. The injector’s low carryover characteristics are particularly beneficial for trace-level analysis and workflows that demand high sensitivity and reproducibility.

Thermal control within the system is managed by the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class Column Heater (CH-A), which plays a critical role in maintaining consistent chromatographic conditions. By actively preheating the mobile phase and injected sample to match the column temperature, the system minimizes thermal gradients that can affect retention time and peak shape. Precise temperature control improves method robustness and supports reliable method transfer between systems, especially for applications where thermal stability is essential to achieving reproducible results.

Detection is provided by the integrated photodiode array (PDA) and fluorescence (FLR) detectors, offering complementary analytical capabilities within a single platform. The PDA detector delivers full UV/Vis spectral acquisition across a wide wavelength range with high optical resolution and wavelength accuracy, supporting peak purity assessment, compound identification, and quantitative analysis. The FLR detector adds exceptional sensitivity for compounds that exhibit native fluorescence or are derivatized for fluorescence detection. Using a high-intensity mercury-xenon arc lamp, monochromator-based wavelength selection, and a low-volume quartz flow cell, the FLR detector is optimized to maximize signal-to-noise performance while minimizing background interference.

Together, the system’s advanced pumping, injection, thermal control, and detection technologies make the Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System with PDA and FLR Detectors a comprehensive solution for high-performance liquid chromatography. It is particularly well-suited for applications that demand fast analysis, high sensitivity, and consistent, reproducible data, including pharmaceutical research, bioanalysis, environmental testing, and complex chemical separations where analytical confidence and method reliability are critical.

The Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System w/ PDA & FLR Detectors can be fully controlled from the Waters Empower Software, which allows for user-friendly operation in data acquisition, analysis, instrument control, automation, and more.

This Waters system is in excellent condition and will be fully tested to perform at factory specifications before being shipped.

Waters ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System w/ PDA & FLR Detectors Specifications

PDA Detector	Specification
Wavelength Range	190 to 500 nm
Optical Resolution	1.2 nm
Digital Resolution	1.2, 2.4, 3.6, 4.8, 6.0, 7.2, 8.4, 10.8, 12.0
Wavelength Accuracy	± 1.0 nm
Wavelength Repeatability	± 0.1 nm
Digital Filter	Variable with data rate
Order Filter	Fixed, 340 to 500 nm
Noise (Shunt in Place of Flow Cell)	1 - 400 nm
Noise (10 mm Analytical Flow Cell)	4 nm
Drift (Medium Shunt Cell and 10 mm Analytical Flow Cell)	~ 0.5 nm
Linearity	< 5% at 2.0 AU, propylparaben series at 257 nm
Data Rate	1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80
FLR Detector	Specification
Wavelength Range	200 to 890 nm (Excitation) 210 to 900 nm (Emission)
Bandwidth	20 nm
Wavelength Accuracy	± 3 nm
Wavelength Repeatability	± 0.25 nm
Sensitivity	Signal-to-noise > 1000 (Raman spectrum of water)
Measurement Range	0.001 to 10,000 EU
Data Acquisition Rate	Up to 80Hz
Unattended Operation	Leak sensor, full 96-hour diagnostic data displayed through ACQUITY UPLC console software
Light Source	Hg/Xe arc lamp
Flow Cell Design	Axially illuminated
Cell Volume	< 2 uL
Pressure Limit	3447 kPa (34 bar, 500 psi) for standard flow cell
Materials	Stainless steel, fused silica, FEP, PEEK

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